File comment: This is after they entered and cleared the first encounter with the evil Cleric and Hobgoblins. Notice the inset Pentegram in the floor of the room. They are approaching the old wooden stairs.DS1.jpg [ 136.26 KiB | Viewed 5520 times ]

Entry Date -Fireday the 19th of Neth"Trying to break out of the Tempter's control, one's mind writhes to and fro, like a fish pulled from its watery home onto dry ground." It has been six months since I wrote here last. My companions and I have been busy studying, working and learning new techniques in Cillimar. Other than the lack of an ocean view this town is not unlike the many port towns I saw in my childhood. It is dirty, crime ridden and where it would cause most people to feel unease, I feel secure. It also reminds me of Cap or rather Captain Red Alday of The Poisoned Cutlass. He was and is still the only father figure that I've had in my life. Staying here for so long reminds me of him and that life I led so long ago before the monastery. Between my hours of meditation and training I've become restless however and have taken to the streets every day performing my pan flute, earning a gold here and there. As always it helps to focus on the music, driving out all other distractions. "If he is unsettled in mind, does not know the true Teaching, and has lost his peace of mind, a man's wisdom does not come to fulfillment." There are times when I realize that staying at a balanced temperament is becoming more difficult. I have seen so much and feel so much also. I do wonder if what Largeir said to me once is true; that the party is 'rubbing off on me'.

Towards the end of our training we were approached with a new task. An aristocrat's daughter in Cillamar has gone missing. We have heard from the thieves guild that a slavery ring in Soulgrave may have her. Finding her and bringing her home would surely be a selfless task and setting an end to slavery there would be a dignified act. We shall not be returning to Castle Whiterock for some time. Lady Chauntessa seemed clearly dejected with our decision. She also tells us that stories of our progress in the castle have been spreading and others are forming their own adventuring parties. I have a new reverence for those that seek out danger for bettering themselves or the lives of others. I am not naive though. I know there are some that only seek fortune and fame in doing good deeds.

As we prepare for our departure I learn that Glokta the Beguiler will not be joining us. For what reason I do not know and will not inquire. He need not justify his parting with me. In his place our party oslter who's trained in bow, Fenris, is joining us. From seeing him in battle he requires a good sparring partner. Perhaps I can offer to assist him sometime.

Before we leave for Soulgrave we are told that the city is a venerable haven for criminals and that taking with us too much gold could get us robbed or worse. So we only take the essentials as we enter through the portal from Cillimar. We must meet someone named Gotlieb at the inn there who will lead us to the entrance of the slavers operation. I can say that he may be the filthiest person I've ever met and I lived amongst pirates. His behavior as he leaves us at the entrance is unsettling but we must continue on.

Fenris discovered a trap in the first corridor and fails at disarming it, poisoning himself and others. We come across a hidden crawl space there that leads to a door. Beyond that we are met with four goblins and a priest summoning a bearded demon. We learn that the priest is evil; a credit to Lady Cendrine's sword which burns red when it is near an evil presence. We engage but not soon enough before the demon is summoned. The priest escapes as I exchange blows with a goblin and Largeir summons a wolf to distract the demon who is combating anyone who is nearby. Lady Cendrine and Hugin then battle the demon who slashes and creates wounds which will not heal on their own. We overcome the goblins and finally the demon and then carry on.

In the next room of the dank and miserable place we come upon rows and rows of slave pits. Each pit contained undead and when disturbed would come to life then tear and slash unthinkingly at any foe. Largeir, my friend, then attempts to traverse the pits to get to the other side. He falls in and Fenris then goes to collect him and falls in as well. He is close enough though to determine that on the other side of the room are more goblins, an halforc and the priest from earlier. Lady Cendrine using all of her strength then rescues Largeir but Fenris stays and we hear the halforc call out for bringing down the walls of the pits around us. While this is happening, the goblins have cover and are peppering us with arrows. I manage to evade one or two and without second thought I tumble down into the pit fighting alongside Fenris then return an undead to death. It is a brilliant moment that leaves me proud of my training. To feel pride I must also feel fear and so I must feel neither. Balance is the key to enlightenment. Not pride and fear, they are the key to sorrow and disorder.

As the pits gave way more and more undead are brought to battle. Goblins then come forward and we all take to the area below. Largeir uses healing spells which harm them. Euphrosyne and Hugin bring a part of a door to use as cover. I learn then that Hugin is fearful of the pits because he was once a slave. I suspect he may benefit from meditation on his fear. I will discuss this with him. The last of the pits give way then as the halforc and two goblins flee leaving the priest. He directed once last blow to Lady Cendrine and then collapsed, defeated.

We have made camp in the summoning room for the night. Many of us are in bad form. I need to take some time to focus on the inner balance that is slipping away, slowly but surely. "You are now like a withered leaf. Death's messengers themselves are in your presence. You are standing in the jaws of your departure, and provisions for the road you have none."

I dreamt of the ocean several nights ago. I could feel the sway of it against my legs, the taste of salt water on my lips, and the sound of seagulls crying out. But the colors were muted as if I were watching the world from inside a cloud. The blue sky, white and the water, a dark grey. I then woke in a dripping sweat, thirsty and parched despite the moist, damp air down here. It seems as if it's been months since I have felt fresh air filling my lungs.

So now I meditate more than sleep. I am becoming annoyed and frustrated much too easily. I wonder if anyone feels the same as I. My party and I have not discussed the obvious fact that we've been tricked to come here. It seems that each fight we have encountered, each enemy we have faced has been ready for us. I do not know what awaits us but I am certain we do not have the advantage of surprise. I do know that the last battle could have been avoided if we hadn't stopped to camp. We could not go on however without taking time to mend, to reverse the crippling disease that the zombie's had inflicted. Fenris is still with us. We are all still standing.

After camping, a few of us became sickened. This is not surprising given the state of our surroundings. When ready to continue Hugin scouted ahead and came upon several hobgoblins trying to beat their way through a huge crate that was blocking the corridor. He tells us this and then Lady Cendrine declares that we must give them a chance to surrender. She is filling her new title admirably. Hugin engages the goblins despite her instruction. Either he does not hear her or chooses to ignore her. Perhaps it is the latter. Fate is in his favor however because he trips a trap causing the crate lid to fall over on one goblin, taking it out of combat for a time. Inside the crate were dire rats and a wererat. We then engage; Euphrosyne fires bolts of magic, Hugin slashing wildly at rats surrounding him and I tumble into battle striking the wererat which bites into my thigh. The pain is great but I am able to keep my footing. I then turn on one of the direrats which I miss and fall sideways, striking my temple into the wall and my vision blurs. I manage to see Fenris and tiny Largeir dispose of several dire rats using their bows and sling.

Through my double vision I can make out a sword sticking out of the inside of the crate wall. Long black steel, glowing blue runes written on the blade. I catch a glimpse of Lady Cendrine to my side and her bastard sword, glowing red underneath the dark vermin blood meaning the sword in the crate is filled with evil magic. Then bright, white light fills my vision and I see Fenris crumple to the ground, his body motionless. I want to help him but I cannot move. I close my eyes tight, shake my head and open them. I see more clearly now and in a blink the crate is gone and in it's place a huge, four legged, skeletal beast snarling at us with long, needle sharp spikes growing out of it's back. Behind this creature I see others; a half-orc, more goblins and an decrepit shell of a man staring us down, in his hands barely lifting it off the floor is the evil, black steel runic sword.

As Largeir leaves battle to heal Fenris I tumble in quickly but fail to surprise the creature and it snaps at my limbs, grazing my shoulder with it's razor sharp teeth. It shoots several spikes at Lady Cendrine who is behind me. I see Hugin ahead of me on the other side of the creature between it and the half-orc. He is trapped but fighting. I tumble away behind Lady Cendrine just as I see Largeir's single sling bullet catch the creature in the face. Hugin and she barrel into the creature. After several well placed blows it disappears.

Ahead of them the half-orc is now holding in his hands a sphere of liquid silver, glowing and emitting a deep hum. I have seen the sphere that the orc is holding from one of Euphrosyne's many tomes on magic. It's a shrapnel sphere and it can devastate anyone who is near when it's thrown. Lady Cendrine declares that he surrender or perish. The orc grins then at me; thin green lips over his rotten, jagged teeth. I tumble up and aim a blow to disarm him knowing that if I succeed and he drops the sphere I could die along with Hugin at my side. I miss and the orc throws the sphere over me and into my companions. It hits the grounds and explodes, tiny pieces of metal now embedded into the floor, ceiling and walls around us. Among all of us Dwybryn and Fenris take the impact of the shrapnel at full force. Euphrosyne sends a bolt of magic, more powerful than I have seen at the orc. Fenris, despite his injured state, finishes the orc with a skillful bombardment of arrows.

All while this is happening, the wizard with the runic sword had been peppering us with arcane blasts. Largeir casts his roiling orb of flame towards one of the mirror images the wizard has created of himself. The image dissolves along with the others. Lady Cendrine, Euphrosyne and myself encounter the goblin that didn't surrender as Largeir takes aim at the wizard who then vanishes. Now we see three more half-orc's enter the fray. We dispose of them quickly. Hugin, in a moment that looking back now is amusing, had brained himself with his own weapon while in battle with the orcs. As a result he has lost any memory of the last few hours and seems very confused. I would feel worse for him had I not seen it happen.

We then carry on and into the next room. Through the acrid, smoky air we see a dead body hanging by a noose, a bag over it's head. The surrendered goblin tells us about this room, offering us some of the halfling simmering away in a cauldron. I can see Hugin is struggling with the situation, clearly wanting to kill the goblin because it had eaten intelligent flesh. The idea of halfing stew is disgusting to me but to someone or something it may be their only source of nourishment. I cannot punish a living being for simply wanting to keep from being hungry.

We turn our attention to the dead body and upon closer inspection uncover a note. It says that his rations had been poisoned. After removing the bag from his head we discover that he is the merchant from Cillimar who had sold us rations before we left. I feel cold suddenly, freezing, in spite of the stale, searing air around us. My insides churl and even though I do not think I am poisoned the entire situation nearly brings me to my knees.

Fenris does not linger and moves away from the group and into the next room, checking for any hidden traps. He finds a peephole in the furthest wall and a catch in the floor underneath it. As he tries to disarm the trap on the catch he trips it but isn't hurt. The secret door grinds open slowly revealing a small alcove carved into the stone. The air is moist here but cool. I see Fenris step in cautiously and walk up to shelving that holds a small coffer. He detects a trap on the coffer, aims to disarm it and is sprayed with acid that burn his skin, leaving tiny trails of smoke from his hands. As I write this, Lady Cendrine is bandaging him using his own bandages. We shall stop here but only momentarily to gather enough strength to continue.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum